Animated toy



Nov. 24, 1964 J. H. SNOBECK 3,157,963

ANIMATED TOY Filed July 10, 1962 IMMMHEMWIIWMWHF? WW M - A TTORNE YS United States Patent Ofiice 3,157,963 Patented Nov. 24, 1964 3,157,963 ANEMATED TGY John H. Snoheclr, 336 W. Harding Road, Lombard, ill. Filed July it), 1%2, Ser. No. 208,807 6 Claims. (ill. 46-107) This invention relates to improvements in an animated toy highly attractive to and safe for use by infants and small children, the invention being particularly attractive to children four years of age and under, although the invention can be made in forms to be attractive to older children, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, some difiiculty has been experienced in the provision of toys, particularly animated toys, or toys having movable parts, in suihcient variety and attractiveness to fulfill the desires of children of insufficient age or who for other reasons are incapable of assembling so-called educational toys, properly operating toys propelled by a spring motor or other driving means, or following a prescribed course of operation for a toy. Difiiculty has also been experienced in the past, consistent with economical production, in varying the appearance, outside of change in color, of the same toy so that if it is desired to present two children with the same toy, the toys would not look exactly alike, especially to the children. In many instances, also, heretofore animated toys of a simple character for small children gave the same appearance from both sides, and frequently simple forms of animated toys required a certain single specific action to move the parts relatively to each other.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a simple form of animated toy which may be manufactured to present different characterizations or different styles at no appreciable difference in the cost of manufacture.

Also an object of this invention is the provision of an animated toy which, without any appreciable difference in the cost of manufacture, can be made in various styles to give different appearances especially to children, whereby the same basic toy may be purchased for a plurality of children and each child will have something that appears dilferent from that given to the others.

It is also an important feature of this invention to provide an animated toy which may readily be held in the hand and parts moved with the fingers without danger to the child, or which may be rolled across the floor or table top and the movement of the parts is automatically caused by the rolling action.

Still another feature of this invention is the provision of an animated toy which while performing the same set of movements repetitively, appears different from one side than the other.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a simple form of economical animated toy having a mildly educational value.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a toy embodying principles of the instant invention showing the same in one stage of operation;

FIGURE 2 is a view similar in character to FIGURE 1 but showing the toy in a different stage of operation;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken just inside the rear disc of FIGURES 1 and 2 looking toward the interior of the toy; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan sectional view through the toy taken substantially as indicated by the line IVIV of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As shown on the drawings:

Except for a few obviously metallic or equivalently rigid parts, such as pivot pins and a link, the instant toy can satisfactorily be made of wood, with the various parts decorated in bright colors so as to make the entire device highly attractive, although other materials may be utilized if so desired.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is in the form of an animated toy comprising a pair of side discs or members 1 and 2 maintained in spaced confronting relationship by a suitable spacer hub 3 having reduced end portions 4 and 5 secured, as by gluing or in any other suitable manner, in suitable central apertures in the discs I and 2 respectively. The discs and hub therefore provide a unitary structure that may be easily held in the hand or rolled along the floor, table top or other reasonably flat surface.

Between the discs 1 and 2 a block or member 6 of any suitable shape, illustrated in the general form of a segment with rounded ends, is pivoted adjacent one end of a pin 7 extending partially within each disc 1 and 2 as seen in FIGURE 4. This member may swing about thepivot point 7 so as to assume a partially exposed position as seen in FIGURES l, 3 and 4, that is with a portion of the member projecting outwardly beyond the circumferences of the discs, or assume a concealed position totally between the discs so as to be invisible from the side, as seen in FIGURE 2 and as indicated by the dotted line showing in FIGURE 3. If desired, any form of decorations may be applied to the projecting portion of the block 6, or it may be left plain as shown in the drawings.

Similarly pivoted between the discs 1 and 2 on a pin 8 is another block or member 9 which also may be shaped in any desirable manner, but which is preferably shaped to provide a head 10 at one end and a head 11 at the opposite end, the pivot point being substantially on the transverse center line of the member 9. Accordingly, either head portion may project out from beneath the discs 1 and 2 while the other remains between the discs, as seen by the full and dotted lines in FIGURE 3.

As seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, the head 1d of the member 9 on one side thereof may have a decoration of any desirable character, but in the illustrated instance a simulated turtle face 12 is provided. On the same side, as seen in FIGURE 2, a simulated turtle face 13 inverted relatively to the face 12 may be provided on the head 11. T he other side of this member 9 may have the same decorations thereon and may have difierent decorations such as a cat face 14; on the head it}, and a dog face 15 on the head 11. These animal decorations are set forth herein by way of example. and not by way of limitation, since it will be obvious that substantially any caricature of an animal, bird, or person might be supplied on the same and opposite sides of the member 9.

Within the confines of the discs 1 and 2, the blocks are joined by a stiff link 16, which may be in the form of a wire having its end portions 17 and 18 turned and recessed into the pivotal blocks 6 and 9 respectively, as seen best in FIGURE 4. The blocks 6 and 9 are provided with recesses 1i! and 20 respectively to permit the blocks to pivot on the inturned ends of the link. With this arrangement if the head 10 of the block 9 is projecting outside the confines of the discs as seen in FIGURE 3, a portion of the block 6 must also pnoject, and if either projecting portion is contacted and urged inwardly then the block 6 will move entirely within the circle of the discs while the opposite end 11 of the block 9 will alone project. This change or movement may be accomplished by pressing with the finger on a projecting portion, or can equally as well be accomplished by rolling the device along a reasonably fiat surface. With the device in the position seen in FIGURE I, assume 'it was rolling to the left, as soon as the head of the block 9 contacts the surface the blocks 6 and 9 assume the dotted line position seen in FIGURE 3 or the full line position seen in FIGURE 2 with only the head 11 of the block 9 projecting, and this interchange of projecting portions will occur repetitively as the device continues to roll.

As seen in FIGURE 3, a pin 21 embedded in each of the discs 1 and 2 carries a loose freely swinging sleeve 22 around it between the discs in a position to be contacted by adjacent ends of the blocks 6 and 9 as shown by the dotted lines in FIGURE 3 to prevent any binding and to maintain the blocks in proper position so that a change in relationship will occur each time a projecting portion is urged inwardly.

Many novel arrangement-s highly attractive to children may be provided, depending upon what decorative characters are utilized on the projecting portions of the blocks 6 and 9, and numerous such changes may readily be provided without any change in the cost of manufacture of the toy. By way of example, it can be assumed that the device is in the position seen in FIGURE 1 with a turtle head and tail projecting from between the discs. Then when someone moves the device, the turtle may be assumed to become frightened and disappear within the disc and as motion continues the turtle again stick out its head as in FIGURE 2 to ascertain if it is safe to again assume the position of FIGURE 1. With the different heads on the opposite side of the block, it can be assumed that the cat indicated by the face 14 is running and its tail is projecting by way of the block 6, until contact with the surface is established when the cat disappears completely and a dog caricatured by the face 15 projects. This continued motion can indicate to a child that the dog is chasing the cat. In similar fashion numerous arrangements can be made whereby the child learns to know the different animals and their actions at least to a minor extent. It makes no difference which way the device may be rolled, the successive movements will have to occur.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a simple form of animated toy highly attractive to younger children and which can be manufactured with numerous changes in its appearance at no difference in cost of manufacture. The device may be decorated with attractive colors, cannot injure the child operating the same, and is exeremely long lived.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. 'In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting discs,

spacer means between and secured to said discs,

a pail;1 of spaced blocks freely pivoted between said discs,

a stiff link connecting said blocks between said discs to cause said blocks to move in unison with a portion of each block alternately projecting radially beyond the discs and assuming a position within the confines of said discs.

2. In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting side members,

spacer means between said members,

a pair of spaced blocks pivoted between said members in olfcenter locations whereby a portion of each block can alternately project from between said members and move within the confines of said members, and

a stiff link connecting said blocks between the members to cause simultaneous movement of the blocks.

3. In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting discs,

a spacer hub between and secured to said discs to provide a unitary rolling structure, and

a pair of spaced blocks pivotally mounted between said discs to alternately move in and out of the confines of said discs as the toy rolls, and

means interconnecting said blocks between said discs to cause simultaneous movement of the blocks.

4. In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting discs,

a spacer hub between and secured to said discs to provide a unitary rolling structure, and

a pair of spaced blocks pivotally mounted between said discs to alternately move in and out of the confines of said discs as the toy rolls, and

a stilt link connecting said blocks between said discs to cause simultaneous movement of the blocks but in opposite directions.

5. In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting discs,

a spacer hub between and secured to said discs to provide a unitary rolling structure,

a block pivotally mounted adjacent an end thereof between said discs to project partially without said discs or be concealed between said discs, and

another block spaced from the first said block and pivotally mounted adjacent its center between said discs in such a position that an end thereof always projects from between said discs,

a link connecting said blocks between said discs to cause simultaneous movement of said blocks, and

a freely swinging bumper between said discs for contact by the inner ends of said blocks to prevent binding.

6. In an animated toy,

a pair of confronting discs,

a spacer hub between and secured to said discs to provide a unitary rolling structure, and

a pair of spaced blocks pivotally mounted between said discs to alternately move in and out of the confines of said discs as the toy rolls, and

means interconnecting said blocks between said discs to cause simultaneous movement of the blocks, at least one of said blocks having caricatures thereon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Weinberg Oct. 27, 1925 

1. IN AN ANIMATED TOY, A PAIR OF CONFRONTING DISCS, SPACER MEANS BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID DISCS, A PAIR OF SPACED BLOCKS FREELY PIVOTED BETWEEN SAID DISCS, AND A STIFF LINK CONNECTING SAID BLOCKS BETWEEN SAID DISCS TO 